Evening capital., 1887-01-22

Subject OF Discussion In the preebyferfan
Church Last Night.
On the subject for discussion in the
Presbyterian Church last night Earn
nestness in Prayer" -the pastor said:
Il know so little what | shall meet as
time hurries on, that / feel that / need
divine aid for the duties that am ex-
pected to perform. The temptations and
sorrows that may meet me may require
more strength and grace than now have.
Besides, ! have received so many bless
ings in the past, | ought to have gratitude
enough in my heart TO make acknowl
edgement Of the same TO kind heavenly
Father. A sense, then. if my need of
guidance and help in the duties and
trials of life, and a thankful spirit for
mercies already received, ought to lead
me in earnest prayer to God.
said devotedly pious man: II know
not how christian can lie in his bed all
night, and not rise TO pray" Said anoth-
er: Il never wake at night without feel
ing inclined to converse with God -
When we have sense of our weakness,
or blindness, or danger, we can pray
When, too, we cultivate grateful feelings
for Gods great gifts to US, we can en-
gage in prayer. The reason we pray so
poorly, or do not pray at all, is that we
are destitute of these emotions. Hence,
we should cherish and cultivate these
feelings. The things that destroy these
feeling in the heart are the dangerous
things.
'Melancthon says; IF had no anx-
icties, should lose powerful incentive
TO prayer. This trouble compels me to
pray, and prayer drives away trouble -
Backsliding commences at the very point
in our experience where interest in prayer
begins to decline If a man wants TO
know whether he is advancing or declin-
ing in his religious life, he can tell 1t by
his prayers,
"0ur prayers do not Away move God
to us, but they always move us to God, if
they are presented in the proper spirit
The poet has said:
Teach us this and every day.
To live more nearly as we pray"
lie must have had In his mind the ex-
perience of an earnest, devoted christian,
for others do live as they pray. and that
is thunderingly, waywardly, wickedIy.-
They do not ask to be guided, and they
are not guided They do not ask for the
comfort they need in the trials of life,
and they are not comforted Their course
is downward instead of upward. IL they
would pray they could never be truly
miserable
"Then when we come to think of the
sorrows of others, we ought to be earnest
in prayer. Calvin says: ''If sometimes
we are cold in prayer, let us at once re-
member how many of our brethren are
sinking under heavy burdens and grevious
troubles, how many are oppressed by
great anguish in their hearts and in all
extremity of evil" When we think of
the heads that are bowed in grief, and
the hearts that are crushed by sorrow, we
ought to be earnest in pleading for them.
When we think of the thousands who are
living without God and without hope, we
ought to pray with earnestness.
"To keep. our fervor in prayer it is inn
portant that we unite with others in pray
er. Hence, christian people ought not TO
neglect the services of Gods house.
These services are intended to. awaken
and strengthen religious feelings, to
strengthen any purpose we have formed
TO live for God, as well as to instruct US
in the things of religion"